In his teens, Zac Fair never went more than a few hours without attending to his longtime passions — skateboarding and graphic art. Now, as a young adult, he’s found a way to make a living through both.
Fair, who was born in Toronto and raised in Calgary, opened Artavi Skateboard Collective in October. It’s a hybrid skateboard shop, art gallery and coffee shop with a distinct focus on locally made products.
Though he considers himself “pretty pragmatic” when it comes to the world business, the 25-year-old knew he was on to something when he took possession of the 530-square-foot space at 1815 Blanshard St. last fall.
“There’s a million and a half skate shops out there, and a bunch in Victoria alone,” Fair said. “Most skateshops carry the stock brands that everybody wants and they know are going to sell, so it’s a solid business model.
“With Artavi, there’s not a single corporate brand in here, with the exception of hard goods like [skateboard] trucks and wheels, which are absolutely necessary.”
His maiden voyage as an entrepreneur is focused on giving skateboarders something wholly unique, with an emphasis on local art. He is a longtime photographer, so his images adorn the walls. He also handles Artavi’s branding, having worked on computers for more than half his life. He designs all of Artavi’s skateboard decks, so he’s acutely aware of the struggle local artists face when trying to get their work seen by the wider public.
As such, the Artavi space is split into two sides; art gallery on one, skateboard shop on the other. He sells merchandise for local bands and stocks original art by local creators, many of which are given three-week exhibitions in the store.
The half dedicated to selling Fair’s original skateboard designs and clothing wear also features a locally sourced coffee shop, of which Fair is the barista.
Though he receives help from various volunteers and support from friends, he is Artavi’s only employee at this point. So far, he has navigated the various job descriptions with ease.
“I’m an outgoing people person,” Fair said. “But I’m also passionate about the creative side of things, like skateboarding and artwork, and making cool stuff happen.”
Fair was living in Courtenay and working at Mount Washington ski hill in 2013 when he hatched the idea to register Artavi (which, loosely translated, means art taking flight) as a wholesale distribution company for his designs.
He went on a two-month summer tour to promote the brand, stopping for soft-sell vendor appearances at music festivals throughout B.C. He heard nothing but good things from customers, who bought his hoodies and hats in droves.
They liked that his was a homegrown skateboard company with a made-in-Canada clothing line attached, Fair said.
Being mobile eased his learning curve somewhat, but Fair longed for broader horizons. “The only retail aspect was either out of the back of my truck or at these festivals.”
He moved to Victoria following his summer run, his eyes set on a traditional storefront.
“I didn’t want to let the dream end at the festival circuit.”
He took over Artavi’s Blanshard Street location in mid-September and, within a month, had pretty much built the store by himself, “with a circular saw and a powerdrill.”
The potential for revenue is modest, Fair admits. But that isn’t why he started Artavi. He’ll be happy if he can help a few artists along the way, host some concerts and musical jam sessions, and turn some kids onto skateboarding.
He is committed to donating a portion of his profits to organizations that benefit youth through skateboarding, adding a pay-it-forward element to the young entrepreneur’s business mandate.
When he took the plunge and moved to Victoria, he left behind a community of friends and artists in Courtenay.
Now that he has set up shop, Fair has nothing but good things to say about the local skateboard community. “I’m surprised by how tight-knight everything is. I was thinking I would be starting from scratch, but it really doesn’t feel like it at all.”
